Irish pay TV viewers reportedly churning

Pay TV subscribers in Ireland are swapping their pay TV for free-to-air digital services, according to the Irish Independent newspaper.

It says it has seen figures that show that 44,000 homes have moved from pay to free TV in the last two years and that the pay TV churn rate is increasing as analogue switch off progresses.

Cable operator UPC has about 470,000 customers in Ireland and BSkyB about 675,000. About 170,000 homes in the country have free-to-air satellite service Freesat and ratings agency TAM Ireland is quoted as saying: “As people are sizing up their options in the build-up to the official analogue switch-off in October this year it is expected to grow further.”